Chapter 7

Chapter 7

#7. Rewards of the Northern Region (1)

After taking the first spoonful into their mouths…

The five knights remained silent.

Instead of talking, they silently began to empty their bowls of stew.

“Another bowl here!”

“What other dishes do you have?”

“Just bring out all the dishes on your menu!”

Their mouths opened only after finishing their bowls of stew.

‘There’s no trace of curses, opium, or sorcery!’

“It’s delicious. Too delicious!”

“This must be what they mean when they say it melts in your mouth!”

“What is this scent and flavor? Can meat really be this tender?”

“Can weeds really make such a taste?”

“This is serious… I might never be able to eat anything else!”

The knights lost half their senses to the incredible taste they’d never experienced before.

“…”

And among them, there was one who was particularly impressed.

“The food I ate on my birthday pales in comparison.”

As a knight from the Northern Region and head of the Lenslet family, Ariana, the Duchess of the Northern Region, stared blankly at the now-empty stew bowl with wide eyes.

‘How astonishing that such amazing food has been born in the North!’

Even though it was just one bowl of stew, for her, it was like finding a precious flower in a wasteland amid the increasingly desolate Northern Region and her own weariness.

‘What should I do?’

At the same time, greed arose.

It would be such a waste to let someone capable of making such cuisine stay in just one inn.

‘Not only cooking skills but also that Arad salt. The secret lies in that.’

In the short moment while waiting for the next dish,

Ariana’s mind was in turmoil.

The simplest and most common method would be to force the unknown cook named Arad to reveal the secret.

That’s how the nobles of the continent usually exploit talented commoners.

Or another way would be to kidnap him to Lenslet Castle and monopolize this taste.

“No. Neither of those options.”

But Ariana shook her head.

Neither of those methods existed in her code of honor.

“The North owes a great favor to Arad Salt. Or rather, we are about to receive this favor. And… if we’ve received a favor, we must repay it. That’s the principle of the North!”

Ariana was proud to be a Northerner even before being the Duchess of Lenslet.

* * *

“The quality and quantity are good.”

“Hahaha… So…?”

“Here you go. I added 3 coppers extra. Especially the winter apples were delightful. We’ll see you again next time.”

Language evolves from adaptability.

Even though I’ve only been reincarnated into this world for a short time, somehow my speech naturally started sounding like something out of a historical drama.

“Thank you very much! May our ancestors bless you.”

“Next.”

“Mr. Arad! I brought some stuff! How’s it look?”

“Ugh… This snow mountain herb won’t work. Something this big is actually poisonous and not good to eat.”

“Aaah…”

“But you managed to get the white snow flower well done? Here you go. As promised, 5 coppers.”

“Thank you! Thank you!”

I was inspecting, checking, and calculating the ingredients brought by adventurers and city kids behind Jack’s Inn.

“Arad-nii! Arad-nii!”

Just as I finished the calculations, Tom’s voice came from behind.

“Tom? Is the stew already gone?”

Since Tom only runs over when the large pot of stew is finished, I asked curiously.

“It’s not that, but there’s another order for different dishes.”

“Different dishes?”

Jack’s Inn’s main dish is always the 2-copper Arad Stew made with Arad Salt.

Other dishes didn’t sell well.

The reason was the price.

The dishes aside from the stew were undeniably delicious, but extremely expensive.

The pricing was intentionally designed to convey, “Even if I do this much, will you still eat it?”

To simplify the menu and focus on thin profit but high volume, I deliberately set the menu this way.

“Did an important person come?”

With Tom’s words, I tilted my head.

Wealthy merchants, imperial adventurers, high-ranking mercenaries, and even the mayor currently dining at the inn…

All possible people who could order expensive dishes during lunch had already been served.

That’s why I was handling ingredient calculations here right now.

“It’s because extremely high-ranking knights from the High City came. Even the mayor inside couldn’t move.”

“Knights? From the main castle?”

With Tom’s words, I immediately went inside the inn.

Thus, the tense atmosphere filled the first floor of the inn I hurriedly entered.

‘Are these the elite knights of Lenslet?’

At the center of this atmosphere were five knights occupying an entire inn table.

At first glance, they looked like famous mercenaries from a renowned mercenary group, but upon closer inspection, an aura and demeanor unseen in mercenaries caught my eye.

Wearing elegant robes and cloaks over their armor, they exuded a unified sophistication characteristic of a knight’s order.

Moreover, their disciplined actions created an intangible aura of dignity that naturally inspired respect, admiration, and even obedience in anyone who saw them.

‘If even the mayor and bureaucrats can’t move, they must be high knights.’

The regular knights of the Northern Region, especially Lenslet’s high knights, wield immense authority.

They were akin to walking judicial and administrative bodies.

If compared to Earth, they held the combined powers of police, prosecutors, judges, and the military.

They even possessed licenses to kill; if the reason was justified, they could execute any noble below the rank of baron on the spot.

“Are you Arad?”

When I stepped out of the kitchen, all the knights’ gazes turned toward me.

“Yes, my name is Arad.”

In response, I used one of the max-level skills embedded in this body, ‘Etiquette,’ to bow respectfully.

“Hooh…?”

The knights’ eyes lit up at this.

“Do you have a surname?”

Referring to their inquiry about surnames, I answered based on my name from Earth.

“I use the surname Jin.”

“That’s a surname I’ve never heard of.”

“Yes. My great-grandfather was originally from the far East Continent.”

“Were they nobility?”

“They’ve fallen and are no longer nobility.”

“Then did you bring the Arad Salt from the East Continent?”

“It’s a secret tradition passed down through our family that I recently adapted to fit the Northern Region.”

While fabricating an appropriate backstory for this body, I conversed with the knights.

“In any case, the stew was truly fantastical.”

“It will linger in my memory for a long time.”

“We’d also like to request other dishes if possible?”

“Of course.”

In response to the knights’ polite requests, I bowed once more according to proper etiquette and quickly got to work.

“You’re quite skilled with your hands.”

“He could’ve achieved greatness with a sword in his hand.”

“To think someone with such dexterous hands is a cook… Should I feel regret or relief?”

After consuming two bowls of stew to quell their immediate hunger, the knights watched my cooking process with kind and generous expressions.

‘Who lives here?’

While cooking under their gaze, I kept glancing at a particular knight, suspecting them to be a female knight.

‘Female knights aren’t entirely absent in this world, but it’s oddly coincidental…’

This is a world where mana exists.

Therefore, women aren’t uncommon in fields related to mana like knights, mages, and priests.

That doesn’t mean female knights are abundant. The occupation of knight is inherently rough, so compared to magic or divine power, the proportion of women remains very low.

‘A female knight from the High City. Moreover, the highest-ranked member of the party… Are there any female knights of the Northern Region with such renown?’

Most notably, the other knights subtly seemed to defer to the female knight’s judgment.

Additionally, while the other knights naturally removed their hoods during the meal, this female knight kept hers pulled over her face the entire time.

‘Could this female knight possibly be Ariana, the Duchess of the Northern Region?’

A sudden suspicion crossed my mind.

‘Nah, why would someone of the Duchess’s stature come all the way here near the Magic Realm dressed so plainly…’

Initially, I dismissed the thought.

‘Wait… Wasn’t the turning point when the North was fully absorbed by the royal family…?’

Then, the setting from Silver Age 1 resurfaced, causing me to momentarily pause.

‘Right after the mysterious disappearance of Duchess Ariana of the Northern Region and her retinue of high knights… I wasn’t sure of the exact timing, but was it around this period?’

Subsequently, I recalled the luck stat embedded within this body.

Considering the luck stat, the circumstances of reincarnation, and the flow of history, it made sense that the Duchess was standing right in front of me.

“…”

My gaze shifted towards the female knight while cooking.

Coincidentally, she too was staring at me through her hooded eyes.

* * *

The five knights from the High City (strongly suspected to include the Duchess of the Northern Region) continued to devour the food I prepared as if inhaling it.

“All the meat I’ve eaten until now has been trash. Ah! Except Poli’s Lip.”

“Can my tongue ever return to its state before tasting this food?”

“The bread isn’t the hard, dry bread I know. How can it be so soft and chewy?”

The amount the knights consumed was enormous.

Though knights were generally big eaters, combined with my max-level cooking skill and Arad Salt, their appetite spiraled out of control.

Gulp Gulp Gulp

Eventually, they forgot their dignity as High City affiliates and enjoyed a casual meal like commoners.

“…”

The Duchess Ariana Rune Lenslet, presumed to be the female knight, also continuously moved her fork, spoon, and knife without removing her hood.

And as the sun set,

when the lanterns and lights illuminated various parts of Haven, their meal finally ended.

“Ugh! Too full!”

“My stomach is so full I can’t take another bite, but I want to eat more despite everything.”

“Even if I have to chew and spit it out, I want to eat more.”

The knights, patting their bloated stomachs with satisfied expressions…

“…”

I, Jack, Tom, and the other customers watched them with weary faces.

“How much?”

“It comes to 3 silvers and 21 coppers.”

Given the initially high-priced dishes and the massive quantities consumed, the bill was understandably steep.

“3 silvers?”

“Yes… T-that’s correct. S-since you ate so much, I’ll waive the 21 coppers. Haha…”

Jack’s voice trembled slightly while stating the price.

“Accept it.”

However, whether due to their own honor, the presence of the Duchess of the Northern Region, or genuine satisfaction with my cooking,

they simply nodded and opened their money pouches.

“Here’s 4 silvers.”

They handed over four silver coins to Jack.

“Let me give back the change…”

“Hey! What do you take us for? We don’t need change.”

The knights stopped Jack, who was rushing to open the inn’s safe to return the change, patted their full stomachs, and left the inn.

Once the knights departed,

“We should go too!”

“Indeed, let’s leave!”

“I’ll guide you. Though we dine here, we’ll sleep at our inn tonight.”

The mayor and bureaucrats of Haven, who had been standing quietly in the corner until now, rushed off in the direction the knights had gone.

“They’re gone.”

“They’ve left.”

“They’ve gone.”

Jack, Tom, and I stood dumbfounded at the inn entrance after the storm had passed.

“…”

Meanwhile, my mind was tangled with conflicting thoughts.

‘The disappearance of the Duchess of the Northern Region…’

Through Silver Age 1, I roughly knew the general history of the North.

“Much of the North’s history has been distorted or erased by the Empire, so I don’t know the details. But judging from the circumstances, it’s highly likely to be happening now.”

I gazed toward the direction the knights had disappeared, toward Poli’s Inn, deep in thought.

“So this was how the disappearance happened.”

Without doubt, the small party organized by the Duchess of the Northern Region and the high knights of Lenslet must surely be heading to the Magic Realm.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have come to Haven.

‘Should I follow them?’

To save the North, I must first rescue the Duchess, the focal point of the North.

A cliché-like sense of obligation arose, urging me to intervene somehow.

‘But how? There’s no legitimate reason. It clearly seems like a top-secret mission. If I just declare I want to join, I’ll end up in jail undergoing interrogation.’

Above all, I’m thoroughly non-combat oriented. I’d be absolutely useless in battle. Even if I joined the party, there’s no guarantee I’d contribute to preventing the Duchess’s disappearance.

‘I can probably handle cooking or repairing weapons, but can I survive in a party filled with monsters just for those reasons?’

I might get killed if I accidentally get dragged into combat.

‘By the way! I’d need a horse that can traverse the Magic Realm, right? In Silver Age 1, premium horses were incredibly expensive, and they must be even pricier now.’

As doubts and hesitation welled up…

-North, please save the North!

The desperate voice I heard when falling into this world automatically replayed in my mind.

Along with it, the strong feeling that I must fulfill this desperate plea to return to Earth also resurfaced.

‘I’m barely surviving myself right now…’

It’s truly troubling to receive such a difficult quest less than two months after arriving in this world.

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